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Regional | Australia

Cyclone downgraded, damaging winds and heavy rain remain

Photo/ Bureau of Meteorology 

Cyclone Debbie has been downgraded to a category one storm, but strong winds and heavy rain continue to batter parts of north-eastern Queensland.

The destruction of the cyclone has destroyed large trees, particularly along coastal areas, ripped roofs off homes and has left thousands of homes without power.

The extent of the damage will not be known until daybreak and it is unclear whether or not there have been any further fatalities.

Initially labelled as a category four storm, Cyclone Debbie brought with it winds of up to 260km/h.

More than 25,000 people were evacuated from their homes from Australia's eastern coastal areas and were urged to hunker down and stay indoors.

Mackay local Jass Adlam spoke to Kawe Kōrero last night and said, "The rain is literally coming down horizontally and it is so hard...you can hear it on the roof. The wind is howling and it'll drop off a little bit but then pick up again. It can be a little bit scary."

Adlam said the loss of power to homes was also another major issue in the area.

"There have been power cuts to certain parts of the region. There are different parts of Mackay that have been cut off. I've got friends who have all lost power."

Hamilton Island, Proserpine and Airlie Beach bore the brunt of Cyclone Debbie, with strong winds threatening homes and businesses.

The storm is expected to dissipate today.